MPs to debate assisted dying legislation – The Guardian

Posted June 10th, 2015 in assisted suicide, bills, news, parliament by sally

‘Private member’s bill to adopt Lord Falconer’s draft regulations that would allow terminally ill people the right to die subject to checks by doctors and a judge.’

Full story

The Guardian, 9th June 2015

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

We all had a right to see Prince Charles’s letters. But not any more, it seems – The Guardian

‘Downing Street’s decision to publish the second batch of letters that Prince Charles had sent to ministers was unexpected. The government had been preparing to resist the publication of the latest batch, covering the years 2006 to 2009, even though a previous batch, covering 2004 and 2005, was released after a ten-year legal battle with the Guardian.’

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The Guardian, 4th June 2015

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Leon Brittan and Geoffrey Dickens’ notes from 1980s released – BBC News

‘Letters from the 1980s have been released, in which MP Geoffrey Dickens called for then-Home Secretary Leon Brittan to ban a pro-paedophilia group.’

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BBC News, 4th June 2015

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Keir Starmer defends Human Rights Act in maiden Commons speech – The Guardian

Posted May 29th, 2015 in human rights, news, parliament, speeches by sally

‘The “put upon and the bullied” in society will suffer if the Tories press ahead with their manifesto pledge to scrap the Human Rights Act, former director of public prosecutions Sir Keir Starmer has said.’

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The Guardian, 28th May 2015

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Queen’s Speech: ‘English votes for English laws’ plan – BBC News

Posted May 27th, 2015 in constitutional reform, devolution, news, parliament by sally

‘Plans to give MPs from English constituencies an effective veto on laws affecting only England are included in the Queen’s Speech.’

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BBC News, 27th May 2015

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Human Rights on the Battlefield – BBC Unreliable Evidence

‘Clive Anderson and guests discuss the controversial suggestion that the UK should withdraw from human rights legislation and re-instate ‘combat immunity’ to protect the British Army from legal action.’

Listen

BBC Unreliable Evidence, 20th May 2015

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

The assisted dying debate – BBC News

Posted May 27th, 2015 in assisted suicide, bills, euthanasia, news, parliament, statistics by sally

‘Nearly 300 Britons have travelled to Zurich to die with the help of the Swiss suicide group Dignitas.’

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BBC News, 26th May 2015

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Attempt to scrap Human Rights Act will not get past Lords, Falconer warns Gove – The Guardian

‘A new British bill of rights is expected to be included in the Queen’s speech, but shadow lord chancellor says upper house would be within its rights to reject it.’

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The Guardian, 22nd May 2015

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Queen’s Speech 2015: Scrapping the human rights act, right to buy, and an EU referendum – what you can expect – The Independent

‘The Queen’s Speech marks the start of this session of parliament. The address, written by government ministers, is delivered by the Queen and lays out the Government’s agenda for the next year.’

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The Independent, 26th May 2015

Source: www.independent.co.uk

Legal experts call for greater scrutiny of surveillance laws – The Guardian

‘An alliance of prominent academics have signed a letter to the government warning against any expansions of state surveillance without the full involvement of parliament and the public.’

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The Guardian, 26th May 2015

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

The difference between ‘affirmation’ and ‘oath’ – BBC News

Posted May 22nd, 2015 in news, oaths, parliament by sally

‘That most time-consuming of the traditional rituals surrounding the UK Parliament, the swearing in of all the MPs, has become an emblem of the changing shape of British society. A ceremony originally designed for exclusion – to keep out religious and political undesirables – has become a display of diversity, writes Stephen Tomkins.’

Full story

BBC News, 20th May 2015

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

The watchdog that would have scrutinised the end of the Human Rights Act just got quietly scrapped – The Independent

Posted May 22nd, 2015 in constitutional reform, EC law, human rights, magna carta, news, parliament by sally

‘The parliamentary committee that scrutinises proposed major constitutional changes been scrapped despite turbulent times ahead of the future of the United Kingdon’s governance.’

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The Independent, 21st May 2015

Source: www.independent.co.uk

HRA Watch: Reform, Repeal, Replace? Mark Elliott: Could the Devolved Nations Block Repeal of the Human Rights Act and the Enactment of a New Bill of Rights? – UK Constitutional Law Association

‘In my last post on the proposed repeal of the Human Rights Act 1998 and the enactment of a British Bill of Rights, I considered the extent to which the House of Lords might thwart the Government’s plans. My conclusion was that the Lords might plausibly assert itself so as to delay the legislation, traditional understandings of the Salisbury Convention notwithstanding, but that the Parliament Act 1911 clearly deprives the Lords of any absolute veto. What, however, of the devolved nations? Could they block the implementation of the UK Government’s proposals?’

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UK Constitutional Law Association, 16th May 2015

Source: www.ukconstitutionallaw.org

Court exceeded its power in ordering publication of Charles memos – Straw – The Guardian

‘Jack Straw, a former Labour cabinet minister and one of the architects of the Freedom of Information Act, has said that the Prince of Wales’s memos to ministers should have remained secret and that the supreme court exceeded its power in backing the Guardian’s fight for publication.’

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The Guardian, 14th May 2015

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority v Information Commissioner and another – WLR Daily

Posted May 11th, 2015 in disclosure, expenses, freedom of information, law reports, parliament by sally

Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority v Information Commissioner and another [2015] EWCA Civ 388; [2015] WLR (D) 194

‘A journalist who, under the Freedom of Information Act 2000, requested information in three invoices submitted by Members of Parliament as expenses claims was entitled to redacted copies of the documents themselves, not merely to a transcript of information contained in those documents, because the transcripts did not provide all the information which the statutory public authority was obliged to disclose to the requester.’

WLR Daily, 28th April 2015

Source: www.iclr.co.uk

Ipsa loses court of appeal challenge over MPs’ expenses – The Guardian

Posted April 28th, 2015 in appeals, disclosure, documents, expenses, freedom of information, news, parliament by sally

‘The regulatory body set up after the MPs’ expenses scandal has lost a test case challenge in the court of appeal against an order that it must release copies of receipts and invoices submitted by politicians.’

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The Guardian, 28th April 2015

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Lord Janner will not face trial over abuse claims – The Guardian

‘Labour peer Lord Janner of Braunstone will escape charges for the second time over alleged historical child sex crimes, prosecution sources have confirmed.’

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The Guardian, 16th April 2015

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

House of Lords (Expulsion and Suspension) Act 2015 – legislation.go.uk

Posted April 2nd, 2015 in constitutional law, legislation, parliament, peerages & dignities by sally

House of Lords (Expulsion and Suspension) Act 2015 published

Full text of Act

Source: www.legislation.gov.uk

House of Commons Commission Act 2015 – legislation.gov.uk

Posted April 1st, 2015 in legislation, parliament by sally

House of Commons Commission Act 2015 published

Full text of Act

Source: www.legislation.gov.uk

Recall of MPs Act 2015 – legislation.gov.uk

Posted April 1st, 2015 in constitutional law, legislation, parliament by sally

Recall of MPs Act 2015 published

Full text of Act

Source: www.legislation.gov.uk